


You're the One That I Want at the End of the Day

by ThatsALotOfLove



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, POV Alternating (3rd Person), and not between Alec and Magnus, the hurt is really mild, the others are mentioned - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 08:13:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11824650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatsALotOfLove/pseuds/ThatsALotOfLove
Summary: Alec and Magnus wake up the morning after the party and proceed to spend the day together, unwilling to let go of each other again just yet.





	You're the One That I Want at the End of the Day

**Author's Note:**

> This is nothing but unapologetic fluff, with the tiniest bit of hurt only to pave the way for some more fluffiness. But after the season 2 finale, I just couldn't think of anything else.
> 
> Title is from One Direction's song "End of the Day", because it features lyrics like 
> 
> _All I know at the end of the day_  
>  _Is you love who you love, there ain't no other way_  
>  _If there's something I've learnt from a million mistakes_  
>  _You're the one that I want at the end of the day_  
>  _When the sun goes down I know that you and me and everything will be alright_  
>  _And when the city's sleeping_  
>  _You and I can stay awake and keep on dreaming_
> 
>  Which I thought fits Magnus and Alec in the last few episodes of the season, and also in this little fic.

Alec woke up gradually, slowly drifting towards wakefulness. There was no abruptness or sense of urgency forcing him to be immediately alert, only an all encompassing sense of calm. That alone would have been enough for him to know where he was even if he had forgotten, but even if it hadn’t been the feeling of a reassuring warm weight pressed up against his side, curled up partially on top of him would have erased any remaining doubt. The young Shadowhunter could feel himself smiling before he was even fully awake and he had no wish to fight it.

 

It felt like it had been ages since he had last woken up with a smile on his face.

 

Which made sense, as he only ever did when he woke up here.

 

That in mind, he opened his eyes, intent on savoring this moment of peace here with Magnus as much as possible. After recent events he did not want to waste a single second. As his eyes adjusted to the semi-dark room, illuminated only by the stray rays of daylight that the curtain could not quite manage to hold back, his gaze swept over the room, unchanged from when he had last seen it, and finally came to rest on the warlock still asleep on his chest. It felt good to see Magnus like this, the heavy weight of his people’s fate lifted off his shoulders and the deep lines of worry erased from his face. It made him look even younger than Alec himself.

 

Alec’s breath caught in his throat as his heart seemed to burst with how much he loved the older man.

 

He had worked towards being Head of the Institute for most of his life. But now that he had achieved his goal and established himself as a leader by successfully leading his people through a crisis, he couldn’t help but be aware that it was no longer _all_ he was. All he _wanted_. Because while he bore the weight of responsibility with all the grace and dignity of wearing a heavy crown crafted especially for him, even that had not felt right unless he had Magnus there to share it with. Alec Lightwood, leader of his people was who he _was_ , no doubt, but by Magnus’ side, be it right here in this bed or out somewhere on a battlefield, that was _where he belonged_.

 

And nothing made him happier than knowing that he could actually have both.

 

As he was lying there, lost in thought and looking at Magnus with a soft smile on his face, he could feel the warlock begin to shift, slowly waking up. Unglamoured golden-green cat eyes opened, bright in the low light. Magnus, too, seemed to feel no sense of urgency when it came to waking up, simply blinking slowly, wriggling just the tiniest bit closer, eliminating any amount of space that had been left between them, before settling back down with a happy little hum.

 

Alec brought up his left hand to reach for Magnus’ right and intertwine their fingers on his chest.

 

Magnus smiled, eyes closing again as he placed a soft kiss on Alec’s bare chest, but he didn’t otherwise move.

 

“You’re thinking very loudly.” he complained playfully.

 

“Sorry.”

 

“Anything serious?” Magnus shifted a little then, squeezing Alec’s hand as he moved back slightly so he could look at him properly.

 

Alec shook his head, bringing their hands up to his lips to place a gentle kiss on the back of Magnus’ hand.

 

“Just thinking about how happy I am.” he answered honestly and was rewarded with a blinding smile.

 

“I’m glad.” Magnus replied, then adding more softly: “Me too.”

 

Alec bent down to kiss him.

 

After they pulled away, Magnus asked:

 

“So…what’s on your agenda for today?”

 

Alec sighed, unwilling to search for his phone to check what time it was. Probably sensing his distress, Magnus ran his thumb over the back of his hand soothingly. Alec couldn’t help but smile again, even as he admitted:

 

“I have to get back to the institute eventually, coordinate the cleanup, check in with the Clave, set up meeting with the Downworld leadership so we can discuss how we can proceed from here. We should also probably at least try to find out where the Edomi went.”

 

Alec let his eyes fall shut with a groan. Then after a moment of silence:

  
“But all of that can wait. The work is not going anywhere and if there’s any pressing concerns to address they know where to find me.”

 

He opened his eyes again to look at Magnus and the soft look he found on the warlock’s face made his heart feel like it was trying to beat out of his chest.

 

“Stay for breakfast?”

 

Alec huffed a laugh.

 

“How could I not. I hear you ‘ _conjure a mean Belgian waffle’_.”

 

Magnus actually giggled at that, even as he clearly tried to look serious.

  
“I do. It would be a shame to miss it.”

 

“Can’t have that.” Alec replied, equally mock-serious.

 

He didn’t know who of them moved first, but their lips met in a kiss that shut down any further conversation.

 

xxXxxXxxXxx

 

By the time they finally left the bed, Magnus offer of breakfast had been rephrased into “late brunch” which he took as a reason to add a tray of mimosas to their Belgian waffles. Alec only laughed and grabbed a flute raising it towards him in a toast, eyes bright. Magnus clinked their glasses together, and when he took a sip he knew that they warmth spreading through his entire body had nothing to do with the alcohol in the beverage.

 

They sat and ate and chatted, doing their best to catch each other up on what they had missed in each other’s lives because of their fights, carefully skirting around any topics that felt too heavy for the lightness of the moment. There were serious discussions to be had eventually of course, and they would be, but for now all Magnus wanted was to bask in the glorious feeling of being reunited with the person he loved. Everything else could wait, because he knew it wouldn’t change anything between them now.

 

It was clear that Alec agreed.

 

Long after the waffles were gone, plates disappearing with a flick of his wrist, they were both still clinging to the last dregs of their final drinks, long gone warm. It seemed that Alec was just as reluctant to leave as Magnus was to let him out of his sight. He supposed it would take some time for their emotions to settle into a balance once again. The High Warlock wondered whether he could get away with just accompanying Alec to the institute. With the immediate danger gone the warlocks had already scattered once again. As Catarina had said, their kind did not gather unless it was for an important reason. Surely it would be more than acceptable for the High Warlock of Brooklyn to offer his assistance to the Head of the New York institute in rebuilding the alliances affected by the war.

 

He was just about to suggest as much to Alec when the young Shadowhunter let out a quiet pained groan, glass that he had moved to raise to his lips hitting the table just a little too hard on the way down, liquid sloshing over the rim. The tense lines on Alec’s face and his white knuckled grip on the stem looked scarily familiar and it took Magnus a moment to find his voice:

 

“Alexander? What is it?”

 

Alec didn’t reply for a tense moment, before he slowly relaxed, eyes opening again to look at Magnus.

 

“I don’t know.” the Nephilim admitted. “It…I felt it last night, too. At first I thought it was just nerves…and then I was a little…distracted…”

 

At any other time Magnus would have taken pleasure from the way Alec flushed at the implications even now, but not while Alec was suffering without immediately obvious and thus fixable reason. The younger man let out a long sigh, dropping his gaze to where his left hand was resting on his Parabatai Rune before he met Magnus’ eyes again. Magnus had tracked the movement, and it confirmed his suspicions before Alec even spoke.

 

“It’s the Parabatai bond. Something…I don’t know what happened to it while it disappeared, or to Jace, but something isn’t right.”

 

“Jace and Clary are hiding something.”

 

It was a loaded statement, Magnus knew, but Alec simply quirked a wry smile.

 

“Some things never change huh?” Slightly more serious, the young Nephilim paused to reach for Magnus’ hand before continuing “I’m alright though, I promise. Whatever it is that Jace is working through right now, he will talk when he’s ready. He always does.”

 

Magnus could respect Alec’s willingness to give Jace time to work through things on his own, but he had to admit that his own readiness to just sit back and wait while Alec was hurting was decidedly less assured. Alec smiled as if he could read his mind.

 

“I’m fine.” he reassured him again.

 

Magnus sighed, surrendering. For now.

 

Still he couldn’t help but follow with: “You sure?”

 

Alec leaned across the table and Magnus met him halfway for a deep kiss. When they pulled away they were both smiling.

 

“How could I be anything else while I’m with you?”

 

The scary thing was, Magnus could tell that Alec absolutely meant it, too. But the wave of trepidation he might have expected to feel at such a bold declaration in the past did not come. Probably because he could not deny that he felt the same way. Not with how much he had ached to see Alec in the past days, to the point where even facing him on opposite sides of a war seemed more bearable than not seeing him at all. How very dangerous indeed. But then, he was used to facing danger for and alongside Alec Lightwood by now, and he found that he did not regret a single second of it.

 

“Then I’d best make sure to not let you out of my sight.” he replied.

 

If Alec noticed the slight crack in his voice, he didn’t comment on it.

 

“You’re not gonna hear an argument from me on that.”

 

And so they ended up portalling to the institute together. For once no one batted so much as an eyelash when they walked through the halls together and Magnus had to spare a moment to admire the positive change that Alec (and of course his siblings and Clarissa) had already managed to achieve. Things weren’t perfect of course, but with Valentine’s death and the news of the corruption on the highest level of the Clave the Shadow World had taken another huge step towards a more united future.

 

True to his words Magnus never strayed far from Alec’s side, and while they did occasionally separate to work on different things, they never quite left each other’s orbit. When Alec went to speak to his people about the recent events, Magnus stood right among his family, feeling no less proud than they did. When Max, well on the road to recovery, came over to give Magnus a hug for trying to save his life followed by Maryse giving him a heartfelt thank you for saving her son, quickly silencing him with a meaningful look when he deflected because he had not been able to do anything for Max, Alec and Isabelle watched from across the room with matching fond smiles.

 

When Jace finally stumbled into the Op-Center and Alec took him aside to talk for a moment, Magnus took that opportunity to check up on Clary. But he did not ask her about what had happened on the shores of Lake Lyn. As much as he might wish to spare Alec any pain that could be avoided he was confident that his young Shadowhunter would ask for his help if he needed it, and that he would be able to provide it if Alec did. There was no need to disturb the girl’s cheerful mood. They’d all had little enough reason to feel that way recently.

 

It was a long day, and by the end of it, Magnus could feel himself flagging. Though most of his energy had been restored, it had been a trying few days and he could not deny that they had taken their toll. And he did not even have a Stamina Rune to support him. Alec did not look to be faring much better, but when they finally had a moment for themselves his only concern was for Magnus. He pulled him into his office, closing the door between them and the world.  

 

“You alright?”

 

Magnus shot him a tired smile.

 

“I am.”

 

“But it’s been a long day.” Alec finished for him. “And anything left to do now is…” he waved his hands in a vague gesture of frustration, unable to fully put it in words.

 

“Housekeeping?” Magnus suggested mildly, delighted when Alec’s frustration made way for amusement.

 

“Yeah. That. You…you should go home. Get some rest.” he looked towards the door as if he was dreading the moment it would open once again with a new matter requiring his attention. “Or you could…you could rest in my room and I could walk you home once I’m done here?”

 

The offer was made almost shyly, but Magnus appreciated all it stood for.

 

“I would like that.”

 

Alec had to leave before they even made it to his bedroom, parting with a quick kiss and a promise to return as soon as possible, but Magnus had no problem finding the way. Unwilling to put in the effort to take off his clothes he simply collapsed onto Alec’s bed face first just as he was. He hadn’t even bothered to turn on the light. The pillow still smelled faintly of Alec in a comforting way, making it easier for Magnus to relax on the admittedly rather uncomfortable mattress. It seemed that even after centuries most Nephilim still had no taste for luxury.

 

As he curled up slightly one of his hands brushed against something underneath the pillow. Curious he removed the item from its hiding spot, then conjured a small light to check what it was. When he realized what he was looking at his heart felt like it had spontaneously grown several sizes, making his chest feel tight. It was Alec’s part of their photo booth pictures, though one of them was missing. He extinguished the light and fell asleep like that, wrapped up in the smell of Alec, hand protectively curled around yet more proof that Alec had struggled with their brief separation just as much as he had.

 

xxXxxXxxXxx

 

That was how Alec found him some time later. His heart clenched at the sight of the usually larger than life warlock curled up in a bed and a room that seemed both too bland and too small to hope to properly accommodate him. Nevertheless Alec had been glad when Magnus had accepted his offer to stay here, and make their way to the loft together. Though Magnus had not given him any reason to believe himself not welcome in the loft, he could not deny that he felt gratified by the older man’s willingness to forgo his own comfort in favor of their togetherness.

 

Very aware that his Stamina Rune was the only thing still keeping him on his feet, Alec wanted nothing more than to simply sink into bed and wrap Magnus up in his arms, but he had promised Magnus that he would take him home, and so he would. He walked over to the bed, smiling tiredly at the sight of the pictures in Magnus’ hand. Alec felt a pang of regret at having to wake Magnus, but it couldn’t be helped. He sat down on the edge of the bed and gently gripped Magnus’ shoulder, running his thumb over the expensive fabric of his jacket. When Magnus didn’t immediately wake Alec bent down to press a soft kiss against the warlock’s temple before pulling back a little to speak quietly:

 

“Magnus? It’s time to wake up.”

 

Dark eyes flashed open at that and Alec was temporarily stunned into stillness by the beauty of the man in front of him as Magnus smiled in greeting.

 

“Hey. You all done for today?”

 

Alec nodded.

 

“Come here.”

 

Alec let himself be pulled into a kiss, but it was soon broken by a yawn he could not quite manage to suppress.

 

He flushed. “Sorry.”

 

Magnus merely brought one of his hands up to rest at the base of Alec’s neck, thumb stroking the soft skin there. Alec leaned into the gentle touch, letting his eyes fall closed for a moment. Aware that sleep was all too likely to claim him if he got too comfortable however he soon pushed himself off the bed, stretching and reaching for his stele, considering refreshing his stamina rune.

 

Magnus, who had been watching closely, sat up himself to sill his hand however.

 

“Don’t.” he asked softly, concern plain in his eyes “There’s no need for you to push your Runes to the limit Alexander.”

 

Alec smiled.

 

“I do believe I promised to get you home.”

 

Magnus stood as well, stretching nimbly. ‘Like a cat.’ Alec thought fondly. Some of this must have shown on his face, because Magnus quirked an eyebrow at him in amusement, but he didn’t comment on it further.

 

“That you have. But it seems like an awful lot of trouble when there is a perfectly good bed right here.”

 

Alec blinked.

 

“I didn’t think you’d want…” he spluttered.

 

Magnus stepped closer, tugging on Alec’s shirt to peck him on the lips before pulling back, eyes sparkling with mischief.

 

“I have slept in worse places.” he said easily, then added with a wolfish grin “And far worse company.”

 

Alec would have protested, even just to keep up appearances, but in that moment he could feel the last of the power fade from his Stamina Rune and he staggered under the weight of his exhaustion, held upright only by Magnus’ arms. He had not gotten much sleep ever since their first fight, and while the activities of the previous night had been far more pleasurable and just as sorely needed as sleep would have been, they had not allowed time for much of it. So instead of protesting, he let his head drop forward onto Magnus’ shoulder.

 

“If this is about Casanova again I swear by the angel…”

 

And Magnus laughed.

 

xxXxxXxxXxx

 

A little while later they were tucked up in bed together, Magnus’ clothes neatly folded on a nearby chair, himself dressed in only his underwear and one of Alec’s old shirts, made soft from frequent wear. Normally they would not hesitate to sleep naked, but as much progress as had been made, neither of them felt particularly comfortable doing so in the institute, even with the door firmly closed between them and anyone wanting to intrude. One day, Magnus mused, he would tell Alec about the special wards he had put in place around this room and, to an only slightly lesser extent, those of his siblings and Clarissa, when he had last been hired to reinforce the institute’s wards.

 

Back then they had only been meant as a way to calm his own nerves when Alec was unable to spend the night at his loft. Wards meant to protect the rooms from being broken into, and from having their inhabitants imprisoned inside them. Wards rigged to trigger an alarm with Magnus himself if they were ever forcefully shattered. But this wasn’t the time.

 

“You good?” Alec asked, voice muffled by his struggle to stay awake.

 

Magnus smiled and wrapped his arms around him more tightly, placing a kiss on the Nephilim’s shoulder. He found himself echoing Alec’s sentiment from earlier in the day, holding just as true now as it had then.

 

“How could I be anything else while I’m with you?”

 

Magnus felt Alec move to talk, but his reply was lost to sleep’s embrace, greeted with a smile on his face. Closing his eyes with a content sigh, Magnus followed in kind.  

**Author's Note:**

> And after that the next morning they both woke up well rested and comfortable. Then they went their separate ways for the day, though they texted each other intermittently throughout, and Magnus invited Alec to come back to loft "whenever he is done for the day, no matter how late" and things slowly start to settle between them. 
> 
>   ~~Also if anyone was wondering, in my head the missing picture is actually hidden inside Alec's phone case, because his phone is pretty much the only thing he always has with him and even when they were separated he just...couldn't quite bring himself to let go.~~
> 
>  
> 
> I do think there's some stuff they need to properly talk about, but after having to put their relationship on the back burner because of politics and things I felt like they deserved some time just wrapped up in each other. 
> 
> I have done my best to proof read this but unfortunately no one else was available to double check so I hope there was nothing terribly wrong with it. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
